Improvement in electro-magnetic motors



Y SSheets--SheeL WILLIAM H. RICHARDSON.

, Improvement in Electro-Magnetic Motors. N0. I273Q, Patented May28,1872

WILUAM H. RICHARDSON.

Improvement in Recife-Magnetic Mntors.

PaentedMay 28,1872.

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w|LL|AM H. RICHARDSN. srheeimhms improvement m Dentro-Magnetic Motors.No.127,369` Paremed May 28,1872.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

IVILLIAM H. RICHARDSON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ONE- HALF OFHIS RIGHT TO HENRY C. HASKELL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT iN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MOTORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,369, dated May 28,18752.

To whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. RICHARD- SON, of the city and county ofAlbany and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements ouElectro-Magnetic Motors, of

which the following is a full and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying' drawing making a part of this speciiication, inwhich- Figure l is a plan view; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a planview, with the top work removed to show the arrangement of magnets andarmatures 5 Fi gft, an enlarged section ofthe circuit-wheel,circuit-point holder, and circuitpoints Fig. 5, an enlarged detachedview of one of the electro-magnets, showing the position of one of thearmatures at the time of closing and opening the circuit; Fig. G, anenlarged detached front elevation ot' one of the electromagnets; andFig. 7, a rear elevation of the Ski/H18.

The nature of my invention consists, first, o1 a new and peculiararrangement of electromagnets around a revolving wheel containing aseries of armatures of novel construction 5 second, of an improvedconstruction of the electro-magnets; and, third, of the construction ofthe circuit-wheel, circuit-point holder, and circuit-points, and themanner of insulating them.

The frame-work consists of a top and bottom piece, A A, having seven(more or less) arms arranged tangentially around a circle, held togetherby the uprights B B. This frame-work I make preferably of brass in orderthat it may not act as a magnetic conductor. Between each pair of armsof the frame-work I attach an electro-magnet, so that its center linewill be coincident with the central line of the arm. O is the shaft towhich the revolving' wheel D and the circuit-wheel L are attached. Therevolvin g wheel D has two circula-r heads, d d, in which radial groovesare made to receive eight (or more or less) sliding armatures, F F.These armatures are made of soft iron, and have their outer ends fjturned back in a scroll i'orm, as shown in the drawing, for a distanceof about one-thirteenth ofthe circumference of the circular head. Bymeans of this scrolll'ormed (or an angular) end the attraction of theelectro-magnet is continued until the longest point of the armature isbrought to coincide with the front edge of the core oftheelectro-magnet, thereby greatly increasing the time the armature is keptunder the attracting influence of the electro-magnet as compared wi ththe common forms of armatures and n1 agnets heretofore used in revolvingwheels. rlChe inner ends of the armatures are bent to forni a stop tostrike against the rods j" j to prevent thc armatures from sliding outof the heads d d beyond the point required to admit of their longestpoints joining the cores of the electro-magnets when the circuit isbroken. Gr G are the electro-magnets, whose cores g g are made ofrectangular bars ot' soft iron. These cores have their front ends madeto conform to the ends fj'of the armatures, and are secured to thecross-bars H H, also made of soft-iron bars. rlhe helices I I consistor' insulated wire wound between the heads 'i z', set at an angle withthe cores g g to correspond as nearly as possible to the form of thefront end of the cores. By so doing a great increase of the length ofthe wire is produced and a corresponding increase of the power of theelectro-magnet is effected. In Figs. 6 and 7 the electro-magnets areshown with two cores, g g, and an intermediate bar of soft iron, gf, theobject of the latter being to form a third point of attraction in themagnets, but which, of necessity, must be of a lower grade of power thanthe cores. In constructing these electromagnets these intermediate barsmay be dispensed with; but preferably I construct them as shown. Theelectro-magnets are secured to the f 'ame-work by means of the bolts JJ, and are adjusted in position by the set-bolts K K. All of thesebolts, where they pass through the frame-work, should be insulatedtherefrom by means of wooden, hard-rubber, or other non-conductingbushings. The circuit-wheel L is made of brass or any ot' the finermetals. It is secured to the shaft C, and is insulated from it by thehub Z, made ot' wood or other non-conducting material. The periphery ofthe wheel is cut into projections, the number of which corresponds withthe number of armatures in the revolving' wheel D. The length of theseprojections should bear the same ratio to the diameter ofthecircuit-wheel L that the ends ffof the armatures bear to the revolving'wheel D. The corners of these projections should be slightly rounded toadmit of a more perfect adjustment of the opening4 and closing of thecircuits'. The circuitpoint holder M is made of hard rubber or anynon-conducting material, with a metallic bushing, m, secured in itscenter, in which the shaft C revolves freely. Its upper face is cut intoradial grooves to receive the circuit-points N N, whose number equalsthat of the electromagnets. Each of these circuit-points has aset-screw, a, by means of which its contact with the circuit-wheel L isadjusted. Springs a a are also attached to each to hold it iirmly incontact with the circuit-wheel L during the time its correspondingelectro-magnet is attracting the armatures. Attached to thecircuit-point holder is an arm, O, held by the adjusting-screws o oattached to the frame, by means of which the circuit-pointsv may becorrectly adjusted to the rotation of the circuitwheel; or, whendesirable to do so, by removing it far enough around to allow thecircuitpoints to engage on the opposite sides of the projections of thecircuit-wheel, the motion of the revolving wheel D may be reversed. P isa spring', the prsure of which is regulated by the screw p, and thepoint of which rests upon the circuit-wheel L. It is insulated from theframe by interposing wood or some other non-conducting material betweenthem.V To the opposite end of the spring I is attached one of the wiresconnecting the motor to the battery. Q is a consolidating-plate, towhich the wires R B connecting with the .electro-magnets are held incontact. It is insulated from the frame in the same manner as the springP. The wires R R are formed into spiral coils, as shown, so as to makethe connections to the electro-magnets of equal lengths for the purposeof equalizing the power of the electromagnets. To the end of theconsolidatingplate Q the other battery-wire is attached for the purposeof completing the circuit. S S are wires connecting each circuit-pointto its electro-magnet.

The battery being connected by its wires to the spring P andconsolidating-plate Q, so as to form a circuit for the electric current,the electro-magnets, as their circuit-points are brought into contactwith the circuit-wheel L, become 'magnetized and attract toward them thearmatures F F that are nearest, thereby. giving motion totherevolvingwheelD. When the longest point of the armature reaches thenearest edge of the core oi' the electro-magnet the circuit to thatmagnet is broken by its circuit-.point passing oft from the projectionof the circuit-wheel L by the rotation ofthe wheel. Each armature, afterthe circuit is broken, in `passing the cores of the magnets, movesfreely in toward the center of the revolving wheel D, so as to clear thelongest point of the core, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, afterwhich the attraction of the next magnetvor its own centrifugal forcewill throw it into its proper position again. By having an uneven numberof electro-magnets and an even number of armatures, or vice versa, therelation of the one to the other is constantly varying, and a morepowerful attraction is maintained during the entire revolution ofthewheel D than can be obtained by using an equal number of each.

In constructing this motor the electro-magnets may be placed within therevolving wheel D and the armatures outside of them in the framing; orthe armatures in the revolving wheel may be made stationary and theelectro-magnets arranged to slide or swing so as to allow the armaturesto pass them; but preferably I construct and arrange them as described.It may also be constructed with an even number oi' magnets and an unevennumber of armatures; or the number of magnets and armatures may bevaried so long as the inequality of the number of each is observed.

In it I also embrace the construction ofthe revolving wheel D, dividedinto a series of spaces in the direction of its length, each space beingprovided-with a series of armatures. To accomplish this a correspondingseries of electromagnets will be required. By this means the power ofthe motor may be greatly increased and the reversal of the motion of therevolving wheel easily accomplished.

By insulating the circuit-wheel L and circuit-point holder M from theshaft C, and the spring P and consolidating-plate Q from the frame, theprimary current is prevented from entering into the motor, except atsuch points as are requisite for its perfect operation, therebypreventing the waste of power of the battery by the neutralizing of theelectro-magnets byreason of their counteraction. The electromagnets areinsulated from the effects of the secondary current by means of thenon-conducting bushings around the bolts J J and K K.

By changing the cores of the electro-magnets from the usual round formto a rectangular one the power exerted by its edge in attracting thearmatures toward it is very greatly increased, and by its increase ofcircumference around an equal area the length of wire in its helix isgreatly augmented, producing a corresponding increase in the power ofthe electro-magnet. Instead of a rectangular core one of an ellipticalform, or of a rectangular form with its corners rounded, may be used;but, as these do not present so powerful an attracting-edge as therectangular core, I use this form from preference.

What I claim as my invention is-f- The revolving wheel D, carrying aseries of sliding armatures, constructed substantially as hereindescribed, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The armatures F F, having their outer ends ff made in the form of ascroll or bevel, as and for the purpose herein specined.

3. The combination of the sliding armatures F F and stops ff,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The electro-magnets G Gr, having the front end of their cores g gformed to correspond to the scroll form or bevel of the armatures, forthe purpose of increasing their attractability.

5. The electro-magnets G G, constructed with heads it' arrangeddiagonally across their cores g g, and their helices I I Wound tocorrespond thereto, as and for the purposes herein described.

6. In combination with the electro-magnets G G, the intermediate bar g,constructed and arranged as and for the purposes herein speciiied.

7. The combination ot' the electro-magnets G G With the bolts J J and KK, arranged as and for the purposes herein set forth.

S. In combination with the electro-magnets G G and the bolts J J and KK, the non-conducting bushings, arranged as and for the purposesdescribed.

9. The combination of the non-conducting circuit-point holder M,constructed as herein described, with the circuit-points N N, as and forthe purposes herein set forth.

l0. The combination of the circuit-points N N, constructed as hereindescribed, with the adjusting-screws n n and springs n n', or theirequivalents, as and for the purposes herein specified.

1l. The combination of the circuit-Wheel L With the circuit-points N N,adjusting-screws n n, and springs n' fn, constructed and arranged tooperate substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

l2. The combination ofthe circuit-pointholder M, arm O, andadjusting-screws o o', as and for the purposes set forth.

13. The combination of the circuit-Wheel L with the spring I),constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

I4. The combination of the electro-magnets G G- with theconnecting-wires It It, constructed with coils or their equivalents, forthe purpose ot' equalizing their lengths and action, as hereindescribed.

15. The combination of the revolving Wheel I) and sliding armatures F FWith the electromagnets Gr G, arranged tangentially around thecircumference ofthe Wheel, as and for the purposes specied.

1G. The combination of the revolving Wheel D, armatures F F, andelectro-magnets G G with the circuit-Wheel L, circuit-point holder M,and circuit-points N N, when constructed and arranged to operate asherein described.

WILLIAM H. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses WILLIAM H. LOW, SANFORD It. HAsKELL.

